Draw Me Drowning
by corystory
Summary: Natsuki and Shizuru are stranded on a deserted island and they'll have to rely on each other in order to survive. **SHIZNAT!**
1. Hypothermic

_******By the way, I do not own Mai Hime or any of the characters featured in this fan fiction. If I did there would be lots of smut, and explosions...then more smut. And maybe even dragons, I dunno.******_

Chapter One:

_Hypothermic_

* * *

**Hypothermia:** Abnormally low body temperature. Someone who falls asleep in a cold temperature may become hypothermic, and the condition can be fatal.

* * *

_Drowning is not so pitiful  
As the attempt to rise  
Three times, 'tis said, a sinking man  
Comes up to face the skies,  
And then declines forever  
To that abhorred abode,  
Where hope and he part company_

-Emily Dickinson

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am? I'm going to need you to turn off your electronic device. We'll be taking off shortly."

I growled underneath my breath at the blonde flight attendant who made a motion towards the MP3 player resting in my lap. I quickly ripped the ear buds from their place and threw an evil look towards the departing woman's back as she made her way towards the front of the plane.

God, I hate flying.

There's just something about being so far off the ground that makes me uneasy. To make matters worse, this was going to be a long flight to Sydney, Australia.

I grab the paperback copy of the latest best-seller that I had propped up on my backpack underneath the seat in front of me. The adventurous tale of a detective-gone-bad was enough to keep my mind occupied as the plane was taxied along the runway, preparing to depart.

I wasn't able to finish three pages before my mind started to wander. I still couldn't believe that I was headed to Sydney. This whole idea was beyond foolish but when I got that call from my now deceased father's lawyer, something inside of me needed to go.

I'm not sure what I'm expecting. Closure, I guess?

All I know is that the father that had abandoned me so long ago had left a will. And apparently, he had left something for me as well as the family he gave me up for. Maybe now that the no-good bastard is dead, I can finally get an answer to the questions I've asked myself since he left me on that orphanage's doorstep.

I was shaken out of my thoughts as the plane hit its altitude, according to the pilot's announcement. I gave up trying to read for now and rested my head against the cool window. The sun was already almost behind the horizon.

A long flight, indeed.

* * *

I woke with a start when a particularly loud snore came from the seat next to mine. It came from a balding man that had his head tipped back at an odd angle as his gaping mouth issued loud breaths. I could already feel my eyebrows begin to twitch in annoyance.

According to the dimmed cabin and the completely dark window, I must've been asleep for quite some time. A quick look around confirmed that mostly every passenger was dozing. It was at this time that my bladder made its displeasure known.

Carefully extracting myself from my seat and narrowly missing Mr. Loud Snoring's shinny head with my elbow, I stretch out in the aisle. My knees pop in gratitude as I make my way towards the lavatory. I'm annoyed to discover that it's occupied, as is my bladder. It takes me a matter of minutes to realize that I can't wait any longer for this chump to free up the toilet.

I notice the curtain that separates First Class from the economy seating and make a snap decision.

After peeking behind the flimsy curtain to make sure the coast is clear, I hastily make my way to the toiletry. I reach it just as the folding door opens to reveal an amazingly beautiful woman. The sickly fluorescent light from the lavatory does nothing to take away from her attractiveness. If anything, it enhanced the striking crimson of her eyes and for a moment I completely forget about my close-to-bursting bladder.

"Ara," a sugar-coated voice issues from between full lips, "Pardon me."

I can't help but turn and watch as she makes her way back to her seat. It's then that I notice her crisp business attire, complete with a pin-striped skirt and high heels.

Snapping out of my daze with a blush, I close the folding doors and engage the lock.

I'm pulling up my jeans and buckling my belt when tremors run through the plane and I lose my balance. My body slams against the door painfully before I'm thrown back against the toilet.

I grab hold of the sink's faucet and level myself before crashing the door open. I emerge right at the same time as a flight attendant rushes past me and enters the pilot cabin. The heavy door closes with a sort of finality.

Another tremor rocks the plane hard enough to send me flying face first into the aisle. I hit the carpeted floor hard enough to knock the air from my lungs. The plane makes a horrible groaning sound as another round of quakes shake the plane, passengers screaming in surprise and fear. I'm gasping for breath as I hurriedly crawl on my hands and knees back to my seat.

Mr. Loud Snoring is no longer passed out. His eyes dart towards me nervously as I yank myself into my chair, pulling the seatbelt across my lap and fixing it across my lap tightly. The public address system suddenly crackled to life to announce emergency procedures just as the yellow oxygen masks dislodge themselves from their compartments overhead. My fingers are trembling so badly that I can barely fix the strap around my head.

I watch as a familiar blonde flight attendant makes her way around, helping anyone who needs it adjust their masks. The plane lurches forward suddenly sending the woman flying into the air. I stare in disbelief as her head cracks sickingly against the roof of the plane and her body falls limply to the floor.

I faintly hear someone scream, "Oh my god!" before the lights start to flicker and people start screaming loudly. All around me were people's panicked and disbelieving faces but all I could do was stare as the flight attendants lifeless body as it was jostled about. I only glanced up when the public address system squawked to life once more. The captain was shouting now, no longer worried about keeping the passengers calm. The situation had escalated far beyond that now.

I faintly realized that he was shouting something about the life vests underneath our seats. That was enough to spur me into action. I swiftly yanked out the bright yellow plastic and hung it around my neck. I took notice that my seatmate had yet to acquire his own life jacket and yelled over the sound of the whining engines to get his attention. He turned fearful eyes toward me and said something that I didn't quite catch.

I didn't have time to contemplate what he might have said before my stomach dropped about fifteen stories beneath me, the plane tilting dangerously. The seatbelt dug painfully into my stomach as I fought to urge to vomit. The plane lurched again and the overhead bin above the seats in front of me crashed open, sending large suitcases to slam against the far wall that separated the cockpit from the passenger area. The flimsy curtain that separated First Class had been ripped away by one of the bags, leaving me with a clear view of a passenger flying clear out of their seat and crashing into the same wall.

The plane suddenly righted itself before a loud explosion from behind me blew a hole in the right side of the aircraft. All was dark as the jet took another nosedive towards the stretch of ocean I had no doubt was beneath us.

Then there was only this horrible rushing sound, followed by a deafening scream.

_Dear God…_

My ears were ringing as I let loose a soundless shriek, the air stealing my voice. My sight was gone from the infinite blackness. I was jerked to the left, my head smacking against something hard, as the ocean rose up to swallow us.

The pressure of the water pushing against my chest was overwhelming. Suddenly I couldn't breathe. The only thing that existed was the terrible weightless feeling and the painful burn in my lungs. Instinct kicked in. I clawed at the belt around my lap, panic making the simple action of lifting the clasp very difficult. With desperate strength I broke free, blindly kicking toward the only difference in color I could make out among the inky darkness. A dark grey amongst the black.

Something sharp bit into my shoulder, starting a slow fire that burned down the length of my arm. But there was a bigger fire that had my chest aching from lack of air.

I broke the surface wheezing for air, taking in large gulps of oxygen that made me feel lightheaded. I splashed along in the darkness as wave after wave crested over me and leaving me gasping each time. I finally realized that I still had the life vest that had somehow miraculously stayed around my neck. Locating the tab, I pulled till it inflated fully. Finally, I was able to rest my exhausted arms and legs.

I could locate nothing nearby. I was surrounded by ocean and stormy sky in every direction and I had never felt so alone in my entire life.

Something brushed against me and I screamed out. Reaching out blindly, I finally realized it was a piece from the wreckage. It was large enough to hold my weight if I distributed it evenly.

I laid my head down against the metal, feeling every cut, bruise, and ache in my body and cried.

* * *

_When I was a child, I drew a picture in school of my father and me drowning. My art teacher, Mrs. Sakimoto, seemed pretty disturbed by it and brought the incident up with the headmistress of the school. She requested an immediate conference with my father. I sat right next to him in the uncomfortable hardback chairs that sat directly opposite of the headmistress's desk. I remember my feet not being able to touch the ground so I drummed the back of my heels in a steady tempo against the chair legs. _

_Mrs. Maria, I believe her name was, quickly got to the point of the visit. She held out the picture for my father to examine as she expressed her deep concern. I remember my dad staring for a long time at my crude drawing with emotionless eyes._

_I banged my heels against the chair harder._

_I didn't see the problem with the drawing. After all, it _was _just a drawing. _

"_Natsuki," Mrs. Maria called for my attention, "Why did you draw this picture?"_

_I shrugged my shoulders, hoping I wouldn't get a scolding. The Headmistress was infamous for her reprimands. _

_But in truth I knew exactly why I drew that picture. It's because that's how I saw my father and I, drowning in grief. We were both trapped in separate lifeboats. The only thing is, the lifeboats had a hole in the bottom and it's constantly filling up with water. So, we both have to constantly fight this never-ending battle of scooping out the water so we wouldn't sink._

_But I had started to notice that father had stopped bothering to scoop water from the boat. He had given up trying to fight the rising water, and so I would as well. _

_We'd both drown together._

_My dad took me home after the conference and he never looked at me again._

_A week later he walked me to the doorstep of an orphanage. The only thing he left me was the clothes on my back and a backpack with my stuffed puppy, Duran. He never said a word before he walked off, leaving me there to drown._

_I never drew another picture after that._

* * *

The odd sound of something scraping against sandpaper startled me from my dreams. It took me a moment to gather my senses and to determine that the entire plane crash incident wasn't a part of my dreaming. It was still dark but the moon finally peeked beyond the clouds, allowing enough light to see that I had washed up on a beach.

I was finally starting to get a feel for where I was. I dragged my exhausted person further up the beach, every part of my body protesting the movement but I didn't want to risk being near the shoreline if the tide started to rise.

I clawed my fingers into the hard-packed sand and heaved myself toward the dark silhouette of trees a few feet in front of me. Reaching my destination and feeling comfortable enough with my distance from the lapping shore, I laid my face the sand. My long, dark hair clung to my face wildly and tickled the corners of my lips. I didn't bother wiping them from my face as the extent of my injuries finally plunged me into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**_Annnnnnd CUT! Well there you have it folks, my new fanfiction for our two lovely ladies. I know I'm a horrible person for placing our favorite heroines on a deserted island and all but love conquers all! (Plus, it's fun to write) Though I finished this at the butt crack of dawn and I have work in a few hours so I didn't bother to check for spelling and grammar errors. Heh heh...sorry. Well, I'll keep this brief. Let me know what you honestly think._**

**_Over and out!_**

**_-Cory_**


	2. Pulse

_******By the way, I do not own Mai Hime or any of the characters featured in this fan fiction. If I did there would be lots of smut, and explosions...then more smut. And maybe even plotting gnomes, I dunno.******_

Chapter Two:

_Pulse  
_

* * *

**Pulse:** The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart.

* * *

_How still,_  
_ How strangely still_  
_ The water is today,_  
_ It is not good_  
_ For water_  
_ To be so still that way._

_-Langston Hughes  
_

I open my eyes and watch as a small sand crab settles itself comfortably in the tendrils of my hair. I watch with a sort of detachedness until I feel something scurry across my back. Gasping, I stumble to my knees, wildly flailing my arms and shaking dozens of tiny creatures from my person. The crowd of crabs hurriedly burrow themselves to safety.

It's at that moment that my injuries make their presence known with a vengeance. I grasp my useless arm and study the jagged gash that runs from my shoulder and down the back of my elbow. The congealed blood looks like a kid's red finger paint but the nasty sting that it emits every time I stretch the skin is no child's play.

To make matters worse, my head feels like those crabs managed to crawl into my brain and had a fiesta there.

My clothes were still damp despite the sun bearing down directly overhead. My batman-emblem shirt clung to my frame stickily and my jeans chaffed in all the wrong places. I chucked the bright yellow, half-deflated life vest that was around my neck to the sand angrily.

Standing on shaky legs, I try to manage the mess that is my hair. I look out toward the crashing waves, then beyond that towards the horizon. Nothing but ocean as far as the eye can see. I curse at the situation I'm in once again before taking notice of a large chunk of metal being pounded by the surf on the shoreline.

I faintly remember sailing in on something or another last night. That must have been the debris from the plane I used to stay afloat. I scanned the rest of the distance, hoping to spot more wreckage from the crash.

Nothing.

'_Was I the only one to survive?'_

A dark chuckle escaped my lips unknowingly.

'_How ironic,'_ I thought to myself. _'That the one person who has wished to drown, should be the only survivor in a plane crash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.'_

I hastily stop that train of thought. It'd be of no use to me to dwell over the past.

Turning, I decide that my best course of action now is to find out where the hell I am. I just needed to find some sort of civilization.

* * *

I was hot and beyond thirsty. I had walked along the beach westward till I came upon an impassible formation of rocks that dropped off to form a tall cliff. I quickly decided that I was better off going back the opposite way instead of trying to scale the bluff in my weakened state.

Focusing on the mental image of being rescued and going back home to Japan, I trotted along with heavy feet. I thought of my only friend, Mai, and her ever-present companion, Mikoto. I wondered if they were at the small diner where Mai worked her second job or if today they decided to take a much needed break. The red-head had been talking about taking Mikoto to her first amusement park for weeks.

'_I wonder if they even know that I'm missing yet.'_

"**SHIT**!" I scream as my big toe comes into contact with something solid. It's in that moment that I recognize two things: first, that I'm missing a shoe and only a soggy sock clings to my right foot and, secondly, the thing I just accidentally stubbed my toe on is a coconut.

I would have berated myself for not noticing the shoe that went AWOL but all I could think about was those trademark, three depressions in the coconut's shell that comically looked like a face.

Descending on the fuzzy fruit with an unbelievable amount of eagerness, I chirped happily as I pulled it from the sand. My mind was already conjuring up the many different ways I could make this into a meal.

'_But first things first, I need to get this baby crackin'!'_

I hurriedly began to scan the tree line, still cradling my soon-to-be lunch possessively.

"Where are all the bloody rocks?" I shouted to no one in particular after spending almost a solid ten minutes searching for a big enough rock to get the job done. "What the fu—"

My sour mood quickly did a one-eighty and I let loose another chirp of pure joy as I stumbled upon another coconut. It wouldn't just be a meal; it was to be a feast!

Having a sudden burst of innovation, I began knocking the two furry shells together. The forceful pounding soon turned into me throwing them into one another, before going another step further and heaving them into nearby palm trees. I wailed strings of profanity as each attempt was unsuccessful.

I found a particularly large branch and began to beat against their impenetrable skins unforgivingly. It was no good. After another hour of trying everything under the sun to break into these coconuts, even going so far as to gnaw at them with my teeth, I gave up. For now at least.

So there I was, making my way further down the beach with a coconut tucked under each arm.

I had been walking for some time, admiring the beauty of the land despite the situation I was in, when something shiny out in the distance caught my eye. I shielded my eyes from the sun but it was too far down the beach to make out what it could possibly be. Whatever it was glinted in the sunlight.

_'Could it possibly be a boat?'_

My heart began to pound at the possibility of rescue. Hope bloomed in my gut and trickled through my veins.

I broke out into a run, letting the coconuts drop uselessly from my arms. As I got closer, I was able to see that it was not a boat. It was merely another piece of wreckage being jostled about by the oncoming waves. The sting of disappointment hurt worse than my busted arm. It was enough to make my eyes burn with unshed emotion. I swallowed the lump in my throat that threatened to block my airway.

About to turn away and continue my trek, I noticed another form in the sand. It was unmoving and my head was telling me it was just another piece of the wreckage but something inside me urged me to get closer.

As I approached I became increasingly aware that it was a body. When the realization hit that, yes, it was in fact a person; I ran once again and fell to my knees beside the motionless figure. Tears pricked my eyes for the nth time since I'd arrived on this forsaken beach. I thought for sure the person was dead. They were just too still for me to have any hope they were alive.

I carefully pushed the tangled mesh of hair from the face-down figure and was able to discover that it was a woman. She was barefoot and her stockings were ripped. Her clothes were torn in multiple areas revealing sunburned skin.

I turned away from the body, trying to get my emotions under control. I wondered what she had been like alive. She looked to be around the same age as me. Did she have a family out there somewhere waiting for her return? Perhaps a husband and children?

Those thoughts tore me up inside.

Now that I had seen a dead person, my own mind started to conjure up the ways I would go. I'd probably pass away from dehydration at this point. My impending death was all too real in that very moment.

I thought that since I was going to die anyways, might as well do one last good deed. I once again faced the body, thinking of all the different ways I could give her a proper burial. I'd dig a hole; a deep one so wild animals wouldn't get to the body. And I'd have to find some flowers. Maybe even say a couple of words for her.

I mentally prepared myself before turning the lifeless woman onto her back. I could clearly make out her straight nose, chapped lips, and smooth skin. She looked so peaceful.

'_Maybe death won't be such a bad thing after all.'_

"I'm sorry," I whispered softly to the lady, though I knew she couldn't hear me. Getting a firm grip underneath her arms, I began to drag her away from the lapping shore. I was surprised by how light she was despite her height. Even lying down, I could tell that she was taller than me.

I had managed to drag the deceased woman to the thick foliage of the jungle. I put the body down in a shady area and decided that I might as well bury her here. I didn't know how long she had been dead and I was worried about when the smell of decay would start to set in.

After going back a distance and retrieving the coconuts I had dropped, I settled back down in the shady area where I had placed the body and sat to contemplate my next move. Dropping my head into my propped up knees, I considered the unfairness of my position. My grief quickly took a turn for the worse and anger settled into its place. Jumping to my feet, I began to kick the sand in frustration and pull at my hair. It felt good to be angry, I thought as I flung handfuls of sand and screamed out my rage into the bright day.

The long yell surprisingly felt good to my parched throat and as I took a deep breath to let loose another, a low moan cut me short.

My head whipped around to look at the body a few feet away from me in shock. The lady hadn't moved an inch and I began to doubt that I had really heard a noise issue from the lifeless form. I stared in complete silence with every fiber of my being attuned to any subtle shift or sound that could possibly come from the woman.

I didn't have to wait long. A tiny whimper was like a gunshot to my ears. I stumbled to reach the young girl I had once thought to be dead. I fell to my knees in awe as a flutter of eyelids greeted my sight. Crimson orbs peeked out from heavy lids and a faint memory from far off tickled my brain.

'She was the woman I ran into at the lavatory!'

Those intriguing eyes hazily meet my own and I watched as her throat began to work but all that issued from her lips was a soft croak. Belatedly, I realized she was trying to speak and I hurried to hush her.

"_Sssssh! Ssssh_! It's okay. Don't talk. You're going to be okay," I said in my best calming voice. It must have worked because I could practically see the tenseness in the woman's body relax.

I looked at my surroundings in a panic. This woman needed medical treatment, which I obviously couldn't provide. The only thing that could even remotely be of use were those damn coconuts that stared at me mockingly.

Turning back to face the woman dejectedly, I saw her eyes flutter shut.

"O-Oi!" I gently shook her shoulder, very much aware that I could jostle her too roughly and cause her pain. "Wake up. Hey! Stay with me now."

It was no use. Even after gently slapping her face a few times, she didn't stir. Alarmed, I was afraid that she went and died right then and there but before I could start panicking, I noticed the barely discernible rise and fall of her chest. I let loose a breath I wasn't even aware that I'd been holding. I listened to the labored breathing being issued from a delicate nose.

Looking up, I noticed that the sun was beginning its descent in the sky and I wondered why we hadn't been rescued yet. They had to at least be looking for us by now.

No matter. It might take them until tomorrow to find us and the woman before me might not make it through the night if I didn't do something.

My eyes narrowed as they came across the insulting coconuts once again.

* * *

"Die you bastard," I shouted as I brought the dense shell down upon a large and rather sharp rock I'd found. It took two hard blows before the skin gave way and a clear liquid started to flow through the crack. I swiftly held it above my mouth and let the life-saving substance trickle down my parched throat. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. When the steady stream died away, I nudged my fingers into the opening and pulled till it gave way. I scraped the meaty flesh from the sides, filling my empty stomach till there was nothing left. I wanted to immediately tear into the other coconut but I knew that I now had another mouth to feed. Not just my own.

I repeated my actions to the second fruit until a large enough hole formed. Being careful not to spill any of the juice, I made my way back to the unconscious lady. Carefully cradling her head with one hand and putting the coconut to her lips with the other, I slowly let the liquid trickle into her mouth.

At first there was no response and I began to worry yet again until I saw her throat working. She began to take larger gulps and I had to pull away the fruit when she began to splutter and cough fitfully.

"More," the woman rasped painfully. It was the first word she had spoken since finding her on the beach.

"Okay, but drink slowly," I warned worriedly.

I once again offered the husk and she drank from it greedily despite my cautioning. The liquid was gone all too soon and the whimper the lady emitted almost broke my heart.

"More," she slurred once again.

I knew I needed to retrieve more of the vital fruit but that would involve leaving her for a long period of time. I took a good look at the state we were in. Night would fall in a few more hours and we would be exposed to the elements. Already the shady area that provided the woman refuge from the harsh sunlight was growing smaller as the sun sunk lower in the sky.

There was no way I could move her again, so I made a snap decision to make her more comfortable by creating some sort of shelter for the both of us. With that in mind, I immediately recalled the two chunks of metal I had seen on the shoreline, one of which I had used as a make-shift raft after the crash.

It took me a good hour to locate and drag back the two pieces of debris. Along the way I had picked up another coconut. After giving the injured woman another much needed drink, I began to construct us a shelter of sorts using the decrepit metal, some bamboo poles, and vines. I even managed to retrieve some palm fronds to lean against the side and act as an improvised wall and carpet. And all of it was built around the crimson-eyed survivor.

Standing back I viewed my crude shelter with a bit of pride. Sure it looked an awful sight, but it was sturdy and would do what I needed it to.

It was a simple overhang with bamboo propping up the sides of the metal shards that made up the roof and one wall. The palm fronds hung from the roof's edge like a curtain on all three open sides.

I hummed my approval and decided to get a look inside. Parting two of the fronds, I ducked down to enter. The injured woman's head was at the far side where the metallic sheet provided the most protection. It would be a tight squeeze for the two of us but at least we could stretch our feet straight out without having to worry about them being exposed outside.

Overall, I was very happy with the end result.

I sat in the sand watching the sun set, turning the sky into a palate of orange, pink, and red. I was once again stunned by the beauty of this place. My belly was full with coconut and the sun's dying rays felt nice on my face even though I was slightly sunburned. The lady in my care had finally started breathing normally which gave me hope in her survival. And to top it all off, chances are, that we would both be rescued tomorrow.

I mean, there had to be search parties out looking for us. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Once the sun set fully behind the horizon, it got cold real fast. My teeth started chattering as I entered my humble abode once again. Careful of my wounded arm, I lay down on my back beside the slumbering body already there. Our shoulders touched as I tried to get comfortable atop the sand and fronds I had laid down earlier.

I listened as the night came alive with creatures' calls. My mind started conjuring up images of various creepy-crawlies that could find their way into our shelter in the dark. Shivering, I banished those thoughts from my head and tried to focus on something else.

I chose to concentrate on the slow, even breathing of the person next to me. It suddenly occurred to me that this was the first time I had ever laid this close to another human being.

Trust was a difficult thing for me to give to another person. Hell, the only person I ever really trusted was Mai and that was because we grew up in the orphanage together. But even then I hadn't ever given her enough trust to allow her to sleep beside me since that was when I was most vulnerable.

It was a weird feeling, lying beside a complete stranger, but I wasn't afraid or wary. There was just something about her eyes, even when I first saw them on the plane, that whispered that this woman would cause me no harm.

I was snapped from my thoughts when I felt a shudder run through the body beside me. The temperature must have continued to drop, as goose-bumps formed along my upper arms. Another round of shivers wracked the woman beside me before I turned on my side and wrapped my hurt arm around her. I felt strange as I rested my head on the stranger's shoulder but I had to admit it was warmer with the added body heat. The shivers that wracked the both of us settled in intensity.

I was finally able to fall asleep listening to the woman's steady breathing and dreaming of crimson eyes.

* * *

**FEED, MY PRETTIES, FEED!  
**

**So there! Chapter 2 is officially finished and I'm sure all my readers are finally satisfied (at least for the time being). Well, you can't just thank me alone anymore. I have finally acquired a Beta! *does little jig*  
And this is the real deal folks since I had to resort to some...unconventional ways...to obtain her.  
Anyways! Give a big hug to WouldYouUnderstand  
She was a huge help for this chapter and I'm sure she'll also be for all further chapters as well. And remember, drop a review for my ego to seize upon!  
**

**-Cory  
**


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